Author: Terra Firma Tackle

The Swell Shark

Species Info:

The
Swell Shark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum) is one catshark found in California. These
unusal little sharks can be found from Northern California to Baja and are
numerous throughout their range. They feed on or near the bottom and unlike
requiem sharks, these sharks lay eggs. The eggs are shaped like a purse (hence
the nickname: mermaids purse) and contain a single developing embryo. These
fish are easily identifiable by flattened body, marbled patterning, black teeth
and unusual defense mechanism of puffing up when caught or disturbed. These are
one of the smallest sharks found in California, only reaching about 3 feet in
length, and for the most part they remain close to the bottom and are slow
moving.

Nicknames:

Catshark,
Pacman Shark, Kirby, A Snag

How:

Swell
sharks can be caught from both the pier and the surf, but the majority of these
small sharks will be caught incidentally on piers near rocky bottom and deep
water. This is one species of shark that responds well to invertebrate baits
such as shrimp, squid, or crab. Sardines
however are hard to beat when it comes to bottom bait and these sharks will not
turn down a finbait offering if they are in the mood. These fish share much of
their range with Horn Sharks, and for the most part these fish occur together
in nature

These slow,
lazy sharks are not fighters at all, but they often wedge themselves in rocks
or kelp and make it difficult to pull them out. 10 to 20lb line is plenty to
catch these miniature bottom dwellers, but as mentioned before, many will be
caught on baits intended for larger game.

From
the surf rigs like the Loop Rig, Pulley Rig, or even the basic Carolina/Fishfinder
rig are all good options. On the pier most of these fish will be caught on slid
baits intended for other species, no need to target them directly, if they are
in the area they will find the bait. There is no need for wire with swell
sharks, but in the event that another shark takes the bait be prepared for a
cut off. These fish can and do eat very large baits intended for other species
and don’t see to by shy when it comes to heavy or stiff terminal gear. It is
nothing short of amazing the size of baits these fish will swallow down given
enough time.

Where:

Swell
Sharks are common all along the Southern California coast, and anywhere with a
rocky bottom or kelp line can hold these odd sharks. South Orange County and SD
County both hold enormous amounts of these fish, sometimes bordering on plague
proportions.

When:

Swell Sharks
bite all year, unfortunately. No luck escaping their bait stealing behavior
there. They do seem to be more active in the dark hours, so perhaps if one
wishes to avoid them sticking to daylight may do the trick.

Thanks for reading! For more information and rigs for
targeting these fish please check out our own website at TerraFirmaTackle.com!

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